Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering, members of the cabinet, representatives from the diplomatic community, senior government officials, Australian volunteers and Bhutanese alumni conducted a prayer ceremony and offered butter lamps in Simtokha Dzong today, for the victims of the ongoing bushfire in Australia.
The bushfire which began in September 2019 has claimed at least 24 lives while dozens are still missing. In addition to the fatalities, the fires have destroyed more than 1,500 homes as well as millions of acres of bushland, killing nearly half a billion animals in the worst-hit state of New South Wales alone. Nationally, more than 6.3 million hectares of land have been affected by the fires. Though much attention has been centred on New South Wales, which declared a week-long state of emergency last Friday, every state and territory has been affected. Apart from NSW and Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania have also been affected.
Till date, no Bhutanese have been affected in the crisis. However, as this is a fast escalating and changing situation, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Bangkok is in constant touch with the representatives of Bhutanese communities in the various states.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister has asked Letshog Lopen to conduct prayers in all the dratshangs across 20 districts for Australia and its people at this time of the disaster.
Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Australia, His Excellency Scott Morrison, expressing solidarity with the Australian Government on 1st January 2020.
